Convertible stock and freight car



E. WY ATT. CONVERTIBLE STOCK AND FREIGHT CAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-20,19l8.

1,338,805. a nted May 4,1920.

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E. WYATT. CONVERTIBLE STOCK AND FREIGHT CAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-20, I918.

Patented May 4, 1920. I

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APPLICATIOIHLEQ EFT-20' I918- 1 mm May '4, 1920..

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- CONVERTIBLE STOCK. AND FREIGHT CAR.

APPLICATION man szrmzo. 191a.

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' fiy Q Patented May 4, 1920. I

' STATES; PATENT OFFICE.

EVERETT WYATT, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATES CON- VERTIBLE CAR (10., OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

CONVERTIBLE STOCK AND FREIGHT CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented May 4, 1 920.

Application filed September 20, 1918. Serial No. 254,901.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EVERETT WYATT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Fort Worth, in the county of Tar= rant and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Stock and Freight Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to stock and freight cars and more particularly to means for converting a stock car into a freight car and vice versa; and the object is to improve the constructions set forth in the patent granted to me on June 19, 1906, No. 823,983, and the patent granted J. C. Bertsch on Mar. 18, 1913, No. 1,056,489.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a freight car provided with the improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the car taken at difierent planes and showing the end of the car closed for freight purposes and showing the car with the freight attachments elevated for making a stock car. Fig. 2 is a detailed view illustrating the connection of the temporary floor to the temporary side wall. Fig. 3 is an interior elevation of part of the side of a car. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the hoisting cables and an idler therefor and a portion of the guiding channel. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the floor hinge or one of the hinges, showing a section of the floor and a section of the side. Fig. 6 is an elevation of one of the locking supports. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the same at right angles to the position shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is detail view, partly in section of the crank connection for operating the movable parts of the car. Fig. 9 is a detail view of the same, the crank being released from the operating shaft. Fig. 10 is detail sectional view of one of the hinges for the folding sides of the car. Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view, showing one of the side latches. Fig. 12 is a face view of the latch. Fig. 13 is a plan view of the floor, partly broken away. Fig. 14 is a double view, showing an interior and an ex terior elevation of a door. Fig. 15 is a vertical section, taken on the line 1515 of Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is a horizontal section, taken onthe line 16 -16 of Fig. 14. Fig. 17

is a vertical section, taken on the line 17- 17 of Fig. 14. Fig. 18 is a detail view of a bottom latch plate.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views. 7

This invention contemplates I improvements by which a stock car of ordinary construction may be converted into a freight car and by which the freight car so converted may be converted back to a stock car without interfering with the general construction of the car. The invention is also intended for convertible cars and new cars may be constructed so that the improvements are more readily applied than to old cars.

A stock car of ordinar construction is shown in the drawings. he car has sills 1 and 2 and 3 and 4, and a floor 5 of the usual construction. Uprights 6 are attached to the sills 1 and 2 and to upper beams 7 and the side strips or bars 8 are attached to the uprights 6. A vertically movable floor is provided and this floor consists of two parts 9 and 10. The lower member 9 rests on angle bars 11 and the upper member 10 may be toe-nailed to the lower member, the angle bars 11 extending flush with the upper member 10. Supplemental angle bars 12 are attached to the side members 13 in order to space the floor from the side bars 8 and to form a seal with the temporary bottom. The side members 13 are connected to the movable floor by hinges 14, which are attached to the side members 18. v The mem bers 14 of the hinge connect with pintles or pivot bolts 15 which are countersunk in the movable floor and which are held in place by strap members 16 which are inclosed be tween the'floor members 9 and 10 and countersunk in the member 10. The bottom or temporary bottom is thus hingedly connected to the side members 13. The side members 13 are connected to the completing side members 17 by hinges 18. It is preferablev to make the side members 13 in two parts and to make the side members 17 in two parts because of the length from end to end of the "car. The hinges 18 permit folding of the side members 13 and 17 together when the side members and temporary bottom are elevated to form the stock car. The members 17 are provided with relatively are elevated, the side. members 17 and 13 will gradually fold together, as shown in Fig. 2 on the right side. Channel iron beams 21 are attached to the upper beams 7 and the keepers 20 may be riveted or bolted to the beams 21. The car is provided witha roof 22. Means are provided for supporting the temporary sides and floor in the upperpart of car. Plates 23 are attached rigidly to the inside of the car and swinging supports'24 are connected to the plates by pivot bolts 25. The supports'may be swung against the side of the car for the passage of the bottom and sides and after these parts are above the supports 24 the supports are swung to the position shown in the upper right side of Fig. 2. For letting the temporary floor and sides down, the supports 24 are again swung back against the side of the car.

Means are provided for elevating the temporary floor and the temporary sides. As shown more'clearly in Figs. 3 and 13, cables 25 are attached to the floor by means of brackets or straps 26 which are attached to the underside of the floor and riveted to the angle bars 11 and holes 27 are made in the straps to receive the cables 25. Channel bars 28 are attached to the sides of the car for guides for the cables 25. The cables 25 are'run up over idler rollers 39 which are provided with pivot shafts journaled in the channel bars 21. The cables 25 are then extended over to and about idlers 30 which are also journaled on the channel beams 21. vided-with reinforcing channel beams 31 and idle rollers 32 are journaledin brackets 33 which are attached to the channel beams 31. The cables 25 are passed down under the idlers 32 and then to idlers 34 which a fixed bracket 39 and around the idlers' 35 and then are attached to the.bracket. 39

V which is rigidly attached to the channel.

beams 36. V

worm shaft 40 which is 'journaled'in the bearing bracket 39 and in the bearing bracket 41 which is rigidly attached to the" The cables are operated by a The car sills land 2 are pro-' channel beams 36. The sliding bearing 37 has an interior worm thread for the worm shaft 40. A worm gear wheel'43 is rigid.

with the shaft 40 and this gear wheel 42 is driven by the wormshaft 43,0nly ones half of the shaft 43 being shown in Fig. 2. The shaft 43 is driven by acrank 44. At-

tention is called to the fact that there are preferably two shafts 43, duplicates, one for each half of the temporary floor and sides. When the shafts 43 are turned, the cables 25 will be operated. 'If the floor and sides are down, and the shafts 43 are turned in the proper direction, the sliding bearings 37 will be movedtoward the worm wheel 42 and the rollers 35 will 'pull on the cables 25 and thus elevate the temporary floor and sides to the position shown at the ri ht side of Fig. 2. The sliding bearings will be guidedby the channel tracks 38. When the sides and floor are tobe let down, the shafts 43 will be turned in the opposite direction and the bearings 37 will move back toward the bearing brackets 39. The shaft 43 is iournaled in bearings 45 3 and 4. The cranks 44 are {riveted to sleeves 46 which are loosely mounted on the shafts 43 and the shafts 43 have studs 47 rigid therewith and the sleeves 46 and the shanks of the cranks 44 have slots adapted to receive the studs 47 When the shafts which are attached to the sills 1'and2 and 7 43 are to be driven the sleeves 46 and the V held against the b brackets 49 are attached to the sides :13. 7

Angle bar keepers 50 are attached to a bar 8 of the car. The sides 13 are'provided with slots 51' and the upper ends of fthe' latches 48' are bentto project through-the slots 51. The latches 48 can be raised by reason of the slots 51 high enough to be released from the angle bar keepers 50.

The drawings show means for closing the ends of the car by telescoping sections 52,

53, and 54, but the means so shown are included in the patent to Bertsch, -above noted, and will not be further'described. Means are provided for sealing the door of the car. Fig. 14 of the drawings shows one-half interior elevation anj'd 'one-half ex terior elevationof the door.- part of the door is made for ventilation, having bars 55 instead of boards. The bars The upper 55 are attached to the'frame 56 and the interior of the door is provided 'with a"" hinged sheet metal section 57,1 1 hingedlry :7 7 When the ca 'is to be used for 'a f i connected by strap hinge members 58 and 59.

car, the section '57 may be swung upwardly to close the car against, weather conditions .and for sealing the car. The section 57' may be held in the closed position by a" swinging latch 60. When the car is to be used for a cattle or stock car, the section 57 may be swung downwardly on the inside for ventilation. Means are provided for sealing the edges of the door about the section 57. Strips 61 are attached to the frame 56 and creases formed therein. Ribs 62 are formed on the section 57 and these ribs fill the grooves in the strips to form the sealing means. The door is held in locked position by gravity latches 68. The door is also provided with sealing means for holding the same in position. An angle bar 64: is attached to the side of the car and the frame 56 is shoved behind the angle bar before the door is locked.

The side sealing members 13 are provided with the angle bars 12 to prevent water from entering the car at the bottom edges. The bar 12 is attached to the member 13 and serves another purpose. This bar spaces the bottom or temporary floor, composed of parts 9 and 10 from the per manent wall of the car so that the floor can be moved vertically.

\Vhat I claim, is,

1. In a stock car provided with a permanent floor and end and side walls, a temporary floor constructed of two layers of boards and angle bars forming a border for the floor, folding temporary side wall members hingedly connected to said bottom and adapted to fold together when saldbottom is elevated, and means for elevating sald bottom.

2. In a stock car provided with a permanent floor and end and side walls, a temporary floor constructed of two layers of boards and angle bars forming a border for said floor, the boards forming said floor being crossed, and means for elevating and lowering said temporary floor.

3. In a stock car provided with a permanent floor and end and side walls, a temporary floor and temporary foldable side walls hingedly connected to said temporary floor, sealing angle bars attached to the lower edges of said temporary floor and engaging the temporary side walls loosely and serving to space said temporary floor from the permanent side walls of the car.

a. In a stock car provided with a permanent floor and end and side walls, a temporary floor and temporary foldable side walls, guiding means for said temporary side walls when they are being folded or unfolded, means for connecting said temporary floor to said temporary side walls consisting of angle bars attached to said temporary side walls and pintles countersunk in said temporary floor and straps for retaining said pintles in said floor, said angle straps hav ing curved members engaging said pintles, and means for raising and lowering said temporary floor.

5. In a stock car provided with a permanent floor and end and side walls, a temporary floor and temporary side walls, said temporary side walls being sections hingedly connected together, angle straps attached to the lower members of said temporary side walls and hingedly connected to said tem porary bottom, means for raising and lowering said temporary bottom and temporary side walls, said angle straps serving to start said side walls to folding, and means for supporting said temporary bottom in the elevated position.

6. In a stock car provided with a permanent floor and permanent end and side walls, a temporary floor and temporary foldable side walls, means for raising and lowering said temporary floor, said temporary side walls being actuated by the temporary floor, and means for supporting said temporary side walls and said temporary floor in the elevated position consisting of brackets attached to said permanent side walls, hinges connecting the upper edges of said temporary side walls to said permanent side walls, vertical pivot bolts carried in said brackets, and supporting blocks engaging said pivot bolts and adapted to swing horizontally under said bottom.

7. In a stock car provided with a permanent floor and permanent end and side walls, a temporary floor, temporary side walls in foldable sections hingedly connected to said temporary bottom, means for raising and lowering said temporary bottom, said temporary bottom operating to fold and unfold said side temporary walls and means for holding said temporary side walls in contact with said permanent side walls when the car is used as a freight car consisting of brackets attached to the temporary side walls, angle bars attached to said permanent side walls, and gravity latches vertically movable in said brackets and adapted to engage said angle bars and provided with horizontal flanges at their upper ends projecting through said temporary side walls, said walls having slots for the movement of said flanges.

8. In a stock car provided with a permanent floor and permanent side and end walls, a temporary floor and temporary side .walls in sections hingedly connected together, means for raising and lowering said temporary floor, and angle straps attached to said temporary side walls and having pivotal connections with said temporary bottom at points spaced from the edges of said temporary bottom whereby said temporary bottom starts said side walls to folding.

9. In a stock car provided with a permanent floor and permanent end and side walls, a temporary floor and temporary side walls in upper and lower sections hingedly connected together, means for raising and lowering said temporary bottom, supports on said permanent side walls for the upper sections of said temporary side walls, relatively long loops attached to said temporary side walls and engaging said supports loosely for guiding said upper sections in the folding and unfolding operations, and angle straps attached to said lower sections and having pivotal connections with said temporary bottom spaced away from the edges of said. bottom for starting the folding of said sections.

10. In a stock car provided with a per manent floor and end and side walls, temporary side walls in sections hingedly connected together and the upper sections thereof hingedly connected to said permanent side walls, a temporary bottom, and angle straps attached to said temporary side walls and having pivotal connections with said temporary bottom at points spaced from the edges of said temporary bottom to prevent binding of the temporary bottom against I the walls of the car when the temporary sides and bottom are being elevated. V p

11. Inna stock car provided with a permanent floor and end and side walls, tem-' having pivotal connectionsiwith said temporary bottom at points spaced from the edges of said temporary bottom to prevent binding of the temporary bottom against the side walls of the carwhen the tempo- 7 rary sides and bottom are being elevated,

and angle ceilingbars attached to said tem-c porary bottom and engaging said temporary side walls loosely. V r

In testimony whereof, I set my hand, this 31st day of August, 1918.

EVERETT WYATT. 

